Shock absorber



March 13, 1934. o, W|KANDER 1.95l,l14

SHOCK ABSORBER Filed March 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jzdezz @W MM '12 E3, 134 I o. R WEKANDER LQSLEM SHOCK ABSORBER Filed March 17, 1950 2 h e heet 2 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 SHOCK ABSORBER Oscar R. Wikander, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to Edgewater Steel Company, Pittsburg Pa a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 17, 1930, Serial nuisance Claims. (01. 213-429) This invention relates to cushioning or shock My invention generally contemplates the proabsorbing devices and has more particular reiervision of a relatively stiff backing ring spring ence to devices of this character employing concomposed of a series of outer rings 1 and a series centrically arranged ring spring elements having of inner rings 2, the members of the series 2 be- 5 conical or inclined engaging faces adapted to ing alternately arranged with the series of outer slide upon each other upon compression of the rings 1, and the rings of theinner and outer sespring with resultant stretching and compression ries having interengaging conical faces 6. Upon of the ring elements. While the invention will compression of the spring these faces slide upon be hereinafter described as embodied in a raileach other in wedging engagement, stretching I I0 waydraft gear, it will be readily apparent that and expanding the'outer rings and compressing the invention has other valuable applications and and contracting the inner rings. uses. In the embodiment of the invention shown in It is desirable in many uses of such a cushioning Figs. 1' to 4, the precessional spring comprises a or shock absorbing device to transmit the force series of outer rings 3, the members of which are 15 to be cushioned in an easy and gradually increasshaped generally like the members of the series ing manner to a sturdy or stiff ring spring strucof rings 1 but of less radial thickness. The preture having great energy absorbing capacity and cessional spring comprises also a series of'inner capable of sustaining and cushioning pressure rings, certain members 5 and '7 of which are forces, shocks and jars of more or less great inweaker or lighter in their spring action than L 20 tensity. certain other members 4 of the series. The memthereof" spring, the weaker inner rings 5 and '7 are firs 45 Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts fully One object of the invention is to provide a bers 4 may be and preferably are duplicates in all cushioning or shock absorbing device which comrespects of the members of the inner series 2 bines relatively soft precessional springs and relof the heavier backing spring. In the embodiatively stiff backing springs, both of ring spring ment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the

25 type, whereby a highly efiicient and desirable weaker members 5 and '7 are slotted transversely, soft starting and gradually increasing energyall other rings of the assembly being integrally absorbing action may be obtained. continuous.

A further and important object of the inven- The entire assembly is conveniently mounted tion is the provision of a precessional spring in a casing composed of two pressed main mem- 30 which, while softly cushioning the impacts, shocks bers 8 and 9 joined together at their lateral edges and jars, will be of sturdy and durable construcby rivets or bolts 11 and a drawn sheet metal cap tion and fully capable of transmitting the presor shell 12 telescoping within the upper end of sure forces after compression to the relatively the part of the casing formed by the pressed Stiff b p members 8 and 9 and embracing the precessional 35 Numerous other objects and advantages of the spring. Reference characters 13 indicate the fol- 9 inven i n wi l b pp as it is better n lowers or abutments, one of which is fixed and Stood from the following description, which, the other adapted for approaching movement taken in connection with the accompanying under impact. drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment Upon sustaining the fo c compressing the Rfeferrmgfio closed and thereafter the outer rings 3 are exfififi i i s zfig ga g g gig E31 6 panded and the inner rings 4 contracted, all finally disclose an embodiment of the invention; Into compressed relatlon shown m Continued movement under the pressure force compressed; causes e pansion of the outer ring series 1 and Fig 3 is a top plan View of Fig contraction of the inner ring series 2 of the back- Fig. 4 is a partial section taken substantially mg Spring- 0n t line 4 4 f Fig 3; The weaker spring rings 5 are preferably ar- 50 Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, ranged to alternate with the stiffer ring springs and showing a second embodiment of the inven- 4 so that each outer ring 3 engages both a weaker tion; and ring 5 and a stiffer ring 4, and all the outer rings Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed plan views of non- 3 therefore sustain substantially the same expancircular rings adapted for incorporation in the sion forces. In the compression of the ring 5, precessional spring. the form of the ring is changed by reduction of its diameter and before and after compression is a true circle.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 8 differs from that already described, in that non-circular rings, indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 by the reference character 21, are employed in place of the slotted rings 5 already described. The noncircular rings may have any preferred form, an oval shaped ring 22 being illustrated in Fig. 7 and a three-sided ring 23 being illustrated in Fig. 8.

The amount of metal in each of these rings is such that when they are brought to exact circular form, as will be presently described, they are only slightly less in diameter than the outer diameter of the relatively stiffer inner rings 4 of the precessional spring. When the spring is extended, as shown in Fig. 5, the non-circular rings engage the outer rings 3 only at the protruding parts of the non-circular rings. When compression occurs the engaging wedge faces round up the non-circular rings changing their form to that of a true circle and cushioning the initial spring action, both by the soft resistance to the change of shape and by an increased length of spring travel. Initially, the weaker spring rings separate the outer rings 3 contacting with them, in greater amount than do the relatively stiffer rings 4 of the precessional assembly.

It is thought that theinvention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirt and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A cushioning or shock absorbing device,

comprising a stiff main backing spring of ring spring type, and a relatively weaker precessional spring of ring spring type, said last mentioned spring including a series of inner rings, alternate members of which are weaker than adjacent rings.

2. A ring spring assembly, comprising a series of outer rings and a series of inner rings, members of said series of inner rings being weaker than other members of said series, the rings of said inner series being so arranged that members of the series of outer rings each engage a relatively Weak and a relatively stiff inner ring.

3. A ring spring assembly, comprising a series of inner and outer rings alternately arranged and frictionally engaging at presented faces, and a weaker precessional ring spring comprising inner and outer alternately arranged rings, said last mentioned inner rings being composed of rings substantially the stiffness of rings of the first mentioned series, and of rings weaker than rings of the first mentioned series.

4. A ring spring assembly, comprising a series of outer rings and a series of inner rings alternately arranged, the one inner series being com- 100 posed of relatively stiff and relatively weak rings, rings of the outer series being arranged in the assembly to each engage a stiffer and a weaker inner ring.

5. A ring spring assembly, comprising two sets 105 of ring springs, each set consisting of an inner and an outer series of rings, alternate members of the inner series of one set being weakened, and the members of the companion outer series being of less external diameter than the external 110 diameter of the outer rings of the other set, and adapted to be expanded in pairs as units at the end of the spring compression.

OSCAR R. WIKANDER. 

